Combined railway-tie and anti-rail-spreader.



No. 767,089. PATBNTED AUG. 9, 1904.

T. o. THOMAS.

COMBINED RAILWAY TIE AND ANTI RAIL SPREADER.

APPLICATION FILED 00131, 190s.

No MODEL.

W ITNEEEEE INVENTEE. V

NO. 767,089. Patented August 9, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

'THOMAS C. THOMAS, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-IIALF TO MARGARET O. THOMAS, OF IJEORIA, ILLINOIS.

COMBINED RAILWAY-TIE AND ANTI-RAlL-SPREADER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters lPatent No. 767,089, dated August 9, 1904.

Application filed October 31, 1903. Serial No. 179,270. (No modeld T UJF/0m it 791/047/ @0H/@WW against the central vertical web of the said rail. 50

Be it known that I, THOMAS O. THOMAS, a Said body A, as shown in the several figures,

citizen ofthe United States, residingatPeoria, and especially in Figs. l and et, is recessed at in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, E, and into such recess is adapted to seat two have invented certain new and useful Improvelocking members F F. These said `members ments in a Oombined Rail-Joint Tie and Antiare merely bars laid end to end, with their eX- Rail-Spreader; and I do hereby declare that the treme ends recessed, as at G, leaving' two profollowingl is a full, clear, and exact description jeetions, an upper one, H, and a lower one, I.

of the invention, which will enable others The under side of the upper projection is bevio skilled in the art to which it appertains to eled, as shown, to conform to the slant of the make and use the same. upper surface of the base of the rail and cor- This invention has reference to an improved responds with the bevel of the heads B. Figs.

device for holding railway-rails, and relates I and i2 illustrate the manner in which the remore particularly to a combined railway-tie cess E is formed. It will be observed that 15 and anti-rail-spreader. such ends are extended to form an under- The primary object of the invention, howcut, as illustrated at J, into which the proever, is to provide a iirm stable device for jections or lips Iof the members F are adaptpreventing spreading of rails and to dispense ed to enter. It is now to be observed that with spikes and wooden ties for securing the the projections H of the said members F lie 2o rails in place. upon the rail-base, while the projections I A further object is to furnish asupport for occupy the recesses .I referred to, and it will 7o the rail that will be more nearly permanent be understood that if properly held in place than the wooden ties usually employed. no amount of sidewise strain or thrust upon In the accompanying drawings, Figure I isa the rail can possibly overturn it, nor can the 25 side view of my improved device, showing the rails be spread. The length ofthe body A is rails held therein. Fig. 2 is a perspective fixed and the rails when held therein cannot 75 view of the body of the invention with the be spread in the least degree. In placing the rails and certain parts removed therefrom. locking members in place between the rails Fig. 3 is a perspective view of locking memtheir rail ends are put in position and their 3c bers as removed from the body shown in Fig. free ends placed together, as indicated in 2. Fig'. I is a cross-section of the body and broken lines in Fig. l. By a downward push 8o one of the locking members. Fig. 5 is a peron the adjoining ends the members are carspective view of a portion of the body in `a ried down into the recess E therefor, the rail slightly-modilied form,showing the rail thereends being forced upon the base of the rail and 3 5 on. Fig. 6 is also a perspective view of a into the recesses J described. As a matter modified form of locking member'. Fig. 7 is of fact a toggle-joint is formed between the 85 a perspective view of a portion of the body members F, so that when forced down into and modified form of connection between the place a considerable pressure must be exerted locking members shown in the other figures. to again raise said members'. These portions 40 Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of may be hinged together, as shown in the ligthe body, showinga different form of locking ures, or may have their ends merely placed means for a rail. together without pivotal or other connection.

In the figures, A indicates the body portion When forcing the parts into position, it must of my improved device, which preferably be evident that the rails will be forced apart 45 forms the tie upon which the rails rest. This sufficient to cause them to enter the recesses member is provided at each end with a head of the body, and it will also be evident that recessed or undercut at O to receive one-half of said rails will be immovable when thus secured.

the base of the rail D, as shown in Fig. l, A fastening means may be used to hold the the overhanging end of said heads abutting joint of the members F down if found desirable, and to this end an ear K may be formed, with the body A at each side, as shown in Figs. 2 and 7. In this case a single bolt may be passed entirely through said ears and the joint of the members F, thereby locking the joint securely, no other securing means -being necessary.

I have shown in the figures a recess L, forming an opening entirely through the body A, and this is used for two purposes: first, to lighten the device, and, second, to provide an exit for water finding entrance to the body. In order that as little water as possible find entrance to said body, the members F are provided with projecting. iianges M, which, as shown in Fig. 4, shed the water perfectly by carrying it over the sides. l

In raising the members to release the rails a crowbar may be placed beneath the iiange M, or if said flanges are not employed, as shown in Fig. 1, a series of indentations N may be used, into which the nose of the bar may be inserted. Then by prying with the bar said members may easily be lifted.

In Figs. 5 and Gis shown a modification of the device. The body A has its head channeled out, leaving the vertical wall O, which is preferably provided with two or more holes, only two, however, being shown. Two abutting ends of the rail are seated on the body, as before described, there being corresponding holes in the rail ends. The member F is also recessed,as shown, to leave the flange P, also provided with holes. The wall or flange O, the rail ends, and the iiange P of the member F are now all secured together by bolts. This form is provided only when desired; but other forms may also be used without departing from the spirit of the invention, it being understood that the toggle arrangement is also used with this form just described. In Fig. 8 the body A maybe used; but instead of the members F a chair may be used, which is bolted to the body, as shown.

It is the intention to employ one of my improved anti-rail-spreaders every sixteen feet for a thirty-two-foot rail. In this way two rail lengths may be abutted at the middle of the opposite rail, thereby bringing the joints sixteen feet apart. Then by placing the device at each joint the sixteen-foot spaces are created. As a matter of fact the devices may be placed closer together, if desired; but the distances given will be suiiicient to entirely prevent any movement of the rails. The ordinary wooden ties may be filled in between and the rails anchored to them in the ordinary way, if desired.

It is not my desire to confine myself in any way to the constructions described and shown, as other forms may be employed that will accomplish the same end in substantially the same way.

Having described my invention, I claim l. In an anti-rail-spreading device, means on which the rails are seated and prevented spreading and means seated between the rails and engaging the same, there being recesses in the first-described means with which the latter means is adapted to engage for preventing such latter means and the rails moving.

2. In an anti-rail-spreading device, a single member recessed to receive the rails substantially as shown, and toggle-arms placed between thel rails, the free ends adapted to engage therewith substantially as shown, there being recesses in the iirst member described with which the toggle-arms engage to hold the latter and the rails.

8. In an anti-rail-spreading device, a single member provided with recesses for receiving the rails substantially as shown and described, a pair of toggle-arms located between the rails, the free ends thereof engaging said rails, there being recesses in the member first described, and projections on the said arms for engaging said recesses to lock the arms against movement and in turn prevent movement of the rails.

4. In an anti-rail-spreading device, asingle recessed member for supporting the rails and having the rails seated in said recesses, togglearms loosely connected and having their free ends recessed to engage the rails, there being recesses in the supporting member, and projections on said toggle-arms for entering said recesses for preventing movement of the toggles and the rails, when the point of connection of the arms is in a position between the rails as shown.

5. In an anti-rail-spreading device, a single recessed member forv supporting the rails and having the rails seated in said recesses, togglearms loosely connected and having their free ends contacting with the inner sides of the rails and recessed to engage the said rails, there being recesses in the member rst described beneath the base of the rails, projections on the arms for entering such recesses substantially as described and means for securing the connected ends of the arms from rising after locking as set forth.

6. An anti-rail-spreader comprising a unit member in which the rails are seated, said member having a head at each end with which the rails engage and by which they are prevented spreading, a recess in the member eX- tending along the same and beneath the bases of the rails and two locking members adapted to lie end to end in the recess, the free ends of such locking members being notched to engage the first-said member and the base of the rail substantially in the manner shown.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS C. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

E. J. ABERsoL, L. M. THURLow.

IOO

ITO 

